Furnace-grate rocking and locking device.



No. 887,523. PATBNTED MAY 12, 1.908.

P. W. RIDLON.

FURNACE GRA'I'E ROCKING AND LOOKING DEVICE.- APPL'IOATI'ON FILED FEB. 13, 1907.

(1/ Vfiwcuziorc 2679 WRZZZQJ i orv g ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED W. RIDLON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PERFECTION GRATE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FURNACE-GRATE ROCKING AND LOCKING DEVICE.

Application filed February 13, 1907.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it "may concern:

Be it known that l, FRED W. RInLoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FurnaceGrate Booking and Looking Devices, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to rocking bar furnace grates, and more particularly to operating mechanism therefor.

The main object is to provide a removable operating handle adapted to be coupled to a grate-connected member, and means whereb) the handle is locked against uncoupling when such grate connected member, and therefore the grate-bars, are not in normal position.

A further object is to provide, in connection with an oscillating operating handle of this description, a fulcrum member which will lock such handle therein against removal except when the grate-connected member is in normal position.

A further object is to provide such a tulcrum member which will permit both re moval of the handle therefrom and uncoupling of the handle and grateconnected men her, only when such grate-connected memher is in normal position.

A further object is to provide means whereby the operating handle may be readily and efficiently coupled with the grateconnected member and seated in its supporting socket.

Other phases of the invention will become apparent as the following specification pro coeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which are shown what appear to be the preferable embodiments of the underlying principles of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 shows a section through the for ward wall of the furnace, exhibiting the grateoperating mechanism and a portion of the grate in elevation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the pivotal socket and the adjoining portions or the operating handle and the grate connected member, the several parts being shown as disconnected; Fig. 3 embodies two longitudinal sections at right angles through the lower end of the operating handle; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the fulcrum socket, indicating diagfi'ammatically different positions of the hanc.

Referring now to these drawings, G indicates the position and arrangement of the rocking grate bars, and G a link bar connecting a number of the grate bars to form a section.

Secured to the link bar G is a connection rod C; and this alone, or with the link bar, or equivalents of these structures, constitutes the grate-connected n'ie'mber to be referred to in the claims.

A is the operating handle, and B the fulcrum socket in which the handle is to be mounted for effecting reciprocation of the connection rod C. This operating handle is constructed to be coupled with the connection rod C, and, to accomplish most desirably the objects of the invention, should be removable from the fulcrum socket B. At this point, it may be observed that the term coupled is intended, both here and in the following claims, to means separably connected.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show most clearly the structures which have been devised to accomplish the results just referred to. The end 16 of the connection rod is preferably flattened and provided with oppositely extending lugs 14. The lower portion of the operating handle A is constructed with a transversely extending chamber 15, conveniently passing entirely through the handle, though all that is important is that it should lead a sufficient distance in from the rear face of the handle. This chamber is constructed to permit the ready insertion and removal of the end 16 of the connection rod, together with the lugs 14. The lower portion of the handle has further a chamber 12 extending longitudinally upward from the chamber 15. This chamber 12 is designed to receive the end of the connection rod, but to permit insertion and removal thereof only by way of the chamber 15. This result is very desirably attained by constructing this portion of the handle in skeleton form, so as to comprise only the four corner pillars 10. The channel formed between the side pairs of these pillars receives the portion 16 of the connection rod C, while the channel formed at right angles receives the lugs 14. It will be noted that the handle A, immediately above the chamber 15, is contracted laterally so as to insure the retention of the lugs 14 within their channel.

The socket B, in its preferred form, consists of a casting constructed for ready attachment to the furnace wall and comprising a pair of opposed upright cheeks 7r, having the open topped bearings m formed therein. Each cheek 7r has on its inner face at either side of the bearing arc-shaped recesses a.

It will be understood that the expression arc-shaped refers only to the upper wall of these recesses. It will be obvious that the shape of their lower walls, or even the existence of such lower walls, is immaterial.

To cooperate with the socket, the lower end of the handle A has oppositely disposed trunnions 5, adapted to rest and pivot within the open bearings m, and is provided further, above said trunnions, with arc-shaped lugs d, so disposed with reference to the trunnions that they may enter the arc-shaped recesses a. It will be understood that it is not essen tial that these lugs be arc-shaped.

The construction and proportions of the several parts are such that, when the connection rod C, and therefore the grate bars, are in normal position, the handle A may be inserted over the end of the connection rod by means of the chamber 15, and the handle may then be lowered, causing the end of the connection rod to be received within the chamber 12, until the trunnions b are seated in their bearings, the lugs d passing freely downward between the sides of these bearings. The grate'may now be rocked; and when the connection rod C is again in normal position, the operating handle may be removed from the socket and uncoupled from the connection rod in the reverse of the procedure just described. If, however, it be attempted to remove the operating handle from its socket while the grate bars are still tilted, the engagement of the lugs 61 within the grooves a will effectually frustrate the endeavor. The advantage of such an arrangement will be obvious, it being known that it is a common thing, after rocking a grate of this description, to leave the grate more or less tilted, thus permitting the grateteeth to be burned out. lVith the present invention, it will be impossible to remove the operating handle, or to disconnect it from the connection rod, unless the grate bars be in proper position. This will be especially a safeguard in grates comprising more than one section, since the operating handle must be removed from one socket and connection rod to another to rock the whole grate, and this can not be done unless the section last rocked is in proper position.

l/Vhile the preferred embodiment of the underlying principles of the invention have been described briefly, it is to be understood that the invention resides rather in these principles than in a particular construction arranged after them. Thus, while it is deemed most desirable that the operating handle shall be entirely removable from the socket, such need not in every instance be the case. Further, the form of socket illustrated should be regarded as merely one form of means for locking the operating handle against uncoupling from the grate-connected member when the latter is not in normal position. In another aspect, it constitutes means for locking the handle against either removal thereof from the socket or uncoupling from the grate-connected member, except when such member is in normal osition.

It will be apprehended, too, that the arrangement of chambers in the operating handle, in connection with the form of the end of the connection rod, constitutes desirable means for permitting the pivotal mounting of the handle and the coupling of the handle and connection rod, quite irrespective of the locking feature,that is such arrangements may be employed with advantage without the locking feature, though they combine most intimately therewith when such feature is employed.

Returning for a moment to the drawings, it may be observed that the arrow in Fig. 1 indicates the line along which the lugs 14 and the trunnions I) must be located before the lugs (Z may be inserted in or removed from the bearings m.

In Fig.4, the line 12-?) indicates the position of the handle in which it may be disconnected from the socket, while the line ww shows one of the positions in which it may not be so disconnected.

That is claimed as new is:

1. In a rocking bar furnace grate operating mechanism, the combination of a. grateconnected member, a stationary fulcrum member, a lever-handle provided intermediate its ends with a longitudinal slot cut therethrough adapted thereby to couplev with said grate-connected member and to fulcrum removably on said fulcrum member, and means for locking said lever-handle against disconnection from said fulcrum member and grate-connected member except when the latter is in normal position. 2. In a rocking bar furnace grate operating mechanism, the combination of a grate-connected member, a stationary fulcrum-member, a lever provided intermediate its ends with a longitudinal slot cut therethrough adapted thereby to couple with said grateconnected member and to fulcrum removably on said fulcrum member, and means carried by said fulcrum member for locking said lever-handle against disconnection from either of said members except when the grate connected member is in normal position.

8. In rocking bar furnace grate operating mechanism, the combination of a grateconnected member, an operating handle having trunnions, a stationary socket having open bearings for the reception of said trunnions and an arc-shaped groove cut in the walls oil one bearing, said operating handle being con structed for coupling with said grate-connected member and to be incapable of uncoupling therefrom without being removed from said socket, and a lug projecting from said handle and'constructed and arranged to stand between the sides of said bearing when the handle is in a certain position and to be received within said arc-shaped groove when the handle is rocked from this position.

4. In rocking bar furnace grate operating mechanism, the combination of a grate-connected member, an operating handle having trunnions, a stationary socket having open bearings for the reception of said trunnions and an arc-shaped groove cut in the walls of one bearing, said operating handle being constructed -for coupling with said grateconnected member and to be incapable of uncoupling therefrom without being re moved from said socket, and an arc-shaped lug projecting from said handle and constructed and arranged to stand between the sides of said bearing when the handle is in a certain position and to be received within said arc-shaped groove when the handle is rocked from this position.

5. In rocking bar furnace grate operating mechanism, the combination of a grate-connected member, an operating handle, and a stationary fulcrum member with which said handle is removably connected, said handle being provided with a transverse chamber coi'istructed to permit insertions and removal oi the end of said grate-connected member and located from the pivotal region of said handle at a distance less than the distance between the end of the grate-connected member and said stationary pivot member, and said handle being provided 'further with a longitudinal chamber leading irom said other chamber away from the pivotal point of the handle and constructed to permit relative longitudinal movement of the grateconneeted member-end therein but to prevent-lateral withdrawal thereof.

6. In rocking bar 'l'urnacc grate operating mechanism, the combination of a grate-connected member, an operating handle, a stationary fulcrum member to which said handle is removably connected, said operating handle being provided with a transverse chamber constructed to permit insertion and removal 01" the end. of said grate-connected member and with a longitudinal chamber leading from said other chamber and within which the end of said member is held against removal laterally when the handle is connected to said fulcrum member, and means for locking said handle to said 'lulcrum member except when the handle occupies a certain position.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED \"V. RIDLON.

itnesses:

WM. S. BELLOWS, G. R. DRISCOLL. 

